Hajo Hermann

That sounds like advice I can listen to--I will wait til january to send off a letter to him. For a moment there--being on these forums--I forgot that Christmas is near. I guess that is what happens when one eats, sleeps and breaths ww2.

 

Song of the Wilde Sau .......

Hängt der Himmel voller Säue wirds dem Tommy vor den Augen grau.
Ja, da hilf dann keine Reue, denn munter ist die Wilde Sau.
Ist der Himmel auch verzhangen, ist die Nacht auch mittelprächtig blau
wird er dennoch gut empfangen, denn munter ist die Wilde Sau.
Und wenn es rummst und kracht weiß er es ganz genau,
das war ein Flugzeugführer der Wilden Sau.

Ganz alleine auf der Reise hängt der kleine kahn am Firmament,
doch das stört in keinster Weise, er ist in seinem element.
Bei den wilden Nachtjagdstakten, ja da wirds dem Tommy
langsam flau, uhm wird mancher überbraten, denn munter ist die Wilde Sau.
Und wenn es rummst und kracht, weiß er es ganz genau, das war ein
Flugzeugführer von der Wilden Sau.

Ist die Luftschlacht in der Steige und die Nacht, die dröhnt und lärmt
wie dumm, Pauke, Pauke, Rumms die Geige, die Wilde Sau kurbelt drin herum
Mitten in dem stäksten Feuer, zwischen Fliegern, Flak und Mordsradau,
ja das dem Tommy teuer, die Horridos der Wilden Sau.
Und wenn es rummst und kracht weiß er es ganz genau, das war ein
Flugzeugführer von der Wilden Sau.

E

 

Ahhhh, to be serenaded in Deutsch again! Have you ever had German vets sing to you--Lili Marleen? it sure was an experiance i'll never forget. I wish I had audio of what was said at the reunion in Bad Camberg...

 

Ah but my friend, can you understand what the song says ? ! ......

E

 

I'm just now reading Peter Hinchliffe's 'The Other Battle' (Luftwaffe Night Aces Versus Bomber Command) and came across the following impressions of Hajo Herrmann from Major Gerd Stamp, who joined the Wilde Sau in 1943 : -

'You ask me what sort of a man Herrmann was. I must say that at first I didn't like him at all. He knew who he was - self-confident, assured, aloof, cold, arrogant. As I was the same rank as he was I could speak to him on equal terms, however, and I told him he was a flying calculating machine...He really was a flying genius'.

Maybe we get an inkling of why Herrmann and Galland were not the best of friends....

 

I know words here and there--and I bet it sounds much better in Deutsch than in English. Compare it with the Panzer Leid--Ob Sturmt Oder Schneit--great in German but bites a big one when sung in English.

 

Martin :

Hajo brought Gerd Stamp and other bomber pilots that he knew over from their wings to start up the Wilde Sau......

Fact too is that Addi Galland was not to kind to quite a few other German notables, besides Hajo was a bomber man and Galland was a fighter boy. Two different worlds in reality.

E

 

Mmmm - I'm only just starting to read about the Nachtjagd 'aces' and there certainly seem to be some very interesting personalities involved - Wittgenstein for instance....

Back to the book !

 

Martin :

The Prinz W is a very interesting sort. An excellent accountis Laurels for a Prince. His two crewmen are interviewed especially about his demise in january of 44, whether smashing underneath a Hali or being shot down by a Mossie intruder I am still not sure ?
Have interviewed several German pilots who served under his leadership while in NJG 3, and like NJG 2 he was a bit on the firm and ruthless side. He expected no less than the best of his personal crew serving with him and his a/c......it had to be spotless, as well as other crews in NJG 2 and 3. No photos were allowed on the airfields generally that he served on since he often felt there were spies amongst them who could use visual information to the fullest. Witt was an outstanding pilot and had the eyes of a Falcon. I firmly believe that had he not died tragically he would of surpassed Heinz Schnaufer as the leading NF proponent as well as Helmut Lent.

E